Scorekeeping device



Dec. 2, 1941.

E'. GEORGE SCOHEKEEPING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1940 {gag i IN VENTR. ELMER GEORGE ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,264,566 soonnknermo DEVICE Elmer George, St. Louis, Mo. anathema. 4, 1940, Serial No. 322,057 I (or. 25%5-126) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to score-keeping devices for use in keeping score when playing such games as ping pong, badminton, etc., its principal object being to relieve the players from the burden of keeping score from imemory, and also from the necessity of remembering when it is time to change serve. As is well known to those who play games of this kind, the scores and serves are often not accurately kept, due to the fact that in the excitement of the game the players lose sight of these points, and after several plays it is difficult to recall them from memory. My device not only indicates the number of points scored by a player, but also indicates the num- Each time a point is made by a ber of serves. player he indicates it on the face of the device by merelypulling a cord connected with the device, Whi'ch action simultaneously indicates a serve, so that by glancing at the device it can be instantly ascertained at any time how many Fig. 2 is an enlargedv front view, showing the hands for indicating the number of points and serves which have been made by the players.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of my device with the rear cover plate removed therefrom, illustrating the operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 44, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5, Fig. 3.

While it is to be understood that my scorekeeping device can be adapted for use in play ing various games, for the sake of simplifying this specification I will describe an adaptation for use when playing a game in which twentyone-points constitute a game and serve is changed after five serves, and in which two players are engaged.

In the drawingI have illustrated my device as comprising mechanism enclosed within a hensing H having a rear cover plate R, and a front face A provided with three indicating hands mounted at the center of said face for rotation in a clockwise direction. The hands I and 2 indicate the number of points made by the players, While the hand 3 indicates the number of serves,

and the hand 3 is located intermediate of the hands I and 2 for a reason to be hereinafter set forth. "A series of numerals B, running from 1 to 20, are consecutively arranged clockwise near the outer circumference of the face A for the purpose of indicating the number of points and serves scored, and the hand 3 is provided with an aperture {at its free end so that as the hand 3 is rotated the aperture 4 will pass over the numerals B, permitting any one of said numerals over which the aperture 4 comes to rest to be observed through said aperture. On the face A adjacent its circumference and between said circumference and the series of numerals B there is painted 'a black section X extending from 5 to 9, inclusive, of said numerals, and a similar black section Y is painted between the circumference of the face A and the numerals B extending from 14 to 19, inclusive, of said numorals, the purpose of which will be explained later.

The parts thus far described are illustrated in Fig. 2, and the indicating hands I, 2, and 3 are connectedwith operating mechanism in the interior of the device in a manner to be presently set forth.

Referring'now to the mechanism within the housing for operating the hands I, 2, and 3: A rotatable pin 5 extending through an opening (not shown) in the center of the face A is enclosed within a rotatable sleeve 6, and said sleeve 6 is enclosed within a rotatable sleeve 7, the sleeves 6 and 1 being rotatable with respect to each other as well as with respect to the pin 5, and the pin 5 projecting slightly beyond the sleeve 6, while the sleeve 6 projects slightly beyond the sleeve 1. The endof the pin 5 which extends outwardly through the opening in the center of thelface A is attached to the indicating hand 2, the sleeve 6 is attached at its outwardly extending end to the hand 3, and the sleeve I is attached at its outwardly extending end to the hand l. The end of the pin 5 which extends into the housing has attached thereto a ratchet wheel 8. The portion of the sleeve 6 which extends into thehousi'ng is slightly shorter than the pin 5 and has attached thereto at its end a ratchet wheel 9, and the portion of the sleeve 1 which extends into the housing is slightly shorter than the sleeve 6 and has attached thereto at its end a ratchet wheel Hi. It will thus be seen that the hand 2 is connected to the ratchetwheel 8 through the medium of the pin 5, the hand 3 is attached to the ratchet wheel 9 through the medium of the sleeve 6, and the hand I is attached to the ratchet wheel I through the medium of the sleeve I; so that when the ratchet wheel 8 is rotated the hand 2 is correspondingly rotated; when the ratchet wheel 9 is rotated the hand 3 is correspondingly rotated; and when the ratchet wheel I0 is rotated the hand I is correspondingly rotated. The pin 5 and the sleeves erably suspended from a wall near the playing table, as illustrated in Fig. 1. For the purpose of this description we will assume that the game is being played'by two individuals, who we will designate as White and Black. The indicating hand I of the device is painted black and will 6 and I are held in place at the center of the face A by a surrounding, stationary, tubular member II (Fig.4).said tubular member II being soldered or otherwise secured to the inner side of the face A and extending outwardly through the opening in the center of the face A, and being of a diameter sufliciently large to permit rotation of the sleeve I therein. The pin 5 and sleeves 6 and l extend beyond the tubular member II at both of its ends. 7 V

A plate I2, provided with an elongated slot I3, is positioned between the ratchet wheels, 8 and 9, the elongated slot I3 permitting both'rotatable and up and down movement of said plate I2 about the pin 5, and a lug I4 projecting through and beyond bothfaces of the plate I2 is adapted to engage the teeth of both the ratchet wheels 8 and 9 simultaneously. A plate I5, providedwith an elongated slot I6 similar to the slot I3, is'positioned between the ratchet wheels 9 and I0 for movementabout the sleeve I perforations I8 and I9, respectively, fora purpose to be hereinafter set forth. I

A coiled wire spring20 is secured, at one of its ends to the inner face of the front wall of the housing H, as at 2|, and the opposite end of said spring 20 is hooked'into the perforation, I8 in the plate I2. A' pullwire 22 is also hooked into the perforation I8, passed .througha tubular guiding member 23, and through a perforartion 24 in the rim of the housing and, secured to a loop member C to which a pull cord D is attached. A similar coiled wire spring 25 is secured at one of its ends to theinner face of the front wall of the housing H, as at 26, and has its opposite end hooked into the perforation I9 in the plate I5. A pull wire 21 is also hooked into the perforation I9, passed through a guiding member 28 and upwardly through a perforation 29 in the rim of the housing, after which it is secured to a loop member E to which 7 a ,When the plates I2 and I5 have been released from a forward pull and the springs 20 and 25 exert a retractive pull on said plates, the fingers 34, 35, and 36 will engage the next adjacent tooth on each of said ratchet wheels, respectively, thus preventing the ratchet wheels from being retracted.

When the device is to, be used for keeping score during the playing of a game, it, is prefkeep score for the player Black, while the indicating hand 2 is painted white and will keep score for the. player White. The hand 3 is.

painted any other color and, as stated before, indicates onlythe number of serves that have been made.

Supposing now that the player White has served and made a point. He pulls the cord D attached to the loop C, which exerts a pull on the pull wire 22 which, being hooked into the perforation I8 in' the plate I2, pulls said plate a sufficient distance so that the lug I4, which is normally in engagement with a tooth on each of the ratchet wheels 8 and 9, will move forward and engage the next adjacent tooth on each of .said ratchet wheels. The stop member 36 acts to check the plate, I2 when the lug I4 has engaged said next adjacenttooth, whereupon the pull is released and the coil spring 28 exertsa retractive pull on said plate I2, (being hooked thereto through the perforation II!) to bring the plate I2 back to its normal position, and the fingers 34 and 35 serve to keep the ratchet Wheels from being retracted more than one tooth by the spring 26. 1 t

As has been heretofore pointed out, the ratchet wheel 8 is connected to therhand 2 through the medium of the rotatable pin15, and the [movement of the hand 2and ratchet wheel 8 are so synchronized that when the ratchet wheel moves the distance of one tooth the :hand moves forward one point, indicated on the numerals B on the face A. Since the hand 3 is connected to the ratchet wheel 9 through the medium of the rotatable sleeve 6, and since the lug I4 engages the teeth of ratchet wheels 8 and 9 simultaneously, it will be seen thatsaid hand 3, indieating a serve, has point.

When the player Black scores a point he pulls the cord F attachedto the loop E, which exerts a pull on'the wire 21 which, being hooked into the perforation I9 in the plate I5, pulls said plate a sufficient distance so that the lug. II I, which is normally in engagementwith a tooth on each of the'iratchet wheels 9: and. Ill, will move forward and engage the next adjacent tooth on each of said ratchet wheels. The stop member 32 acts to check the plate I5 when the lug I! has engaged said next adjacent tooth,

movement of the hand I and the ratchet wheel I 0 are so synchronized that whenthe ratchet wheel moves forward the distance of one tooth, the hand moves forward one point indicated on the numerals B on the face .A. As before said; the'hand 3 is connected to the ratchetwheel 9 through the medium of the rotatable sleeve 6, and since the lug I'I engages the ,teethof ratchet-wheels 9 and I0 simultaneously, it willbe also moved 7 forward one s seen that said hand 3, indicating a serve, has also moved forward one point. The movement of the ratchet wheel 9 and the hand 3 are also synchronized, so that when the ratchet wheel 9 moves forward the distance of one tooth the hand moves forward one point From the above description it will be clear that the forward movement of the hand 3 takes place simultaneously with the forward movement of either the hand I or the hand 2.

The player White serves five times, and each serve is indicated by the hand 3. When he has served five times the aperture 4 in the hand 3 will be positioned over the 5 in the series of numerals B opposite the beginning of the black section X, thus indicating that it is time for the serve to change, and the player Black will then serve five times, until the hand 3 has moved away from the black section X and is stationed with its aperture over the in the series of numerals B, and this alternation will be continued, the service of the player Black being indicated while the hand is pointing to numerals B adjacent the black sections X and Y, and the serves of the player White being indicated while the hand 3 is pointing to numerals adjacent the intermediate, unpainted sections adjacent the circumference of the face A. Thus, a mere glance at the device will enable the players to ascertain which player should be serving and how many more serves he has until it is time to change serve, and also how many points each player has scored.

While I have described my device as havin a circular face A with the numerals B arranged clockwise thereon, it is to be understood that it is not limited to this form but may take any other desired shape; for instance, the face A may be rectangular with the numerals B arranged thereon in a straight line.

I claim:

1. A score-keeping device for use in playing games in which players change serve upon reaching predetermined total scores, including a face bearing score indicia, a pair of indicating elements and a totalizing element support for movement with respect to said face, and operating means for moving said indicating elements and said totalizing element, said operating means comprising two independent mechanisms one for actuating one of said indicating elements and said totalizing element, the other said mechanism for actuating its associated indicator element and the totalizing element, a predetermined distance, and additional arcuately arranged indicia on said face defining a zone which cooperates with said totalizing element to indicate change of serve.

2. A score-keeping device for use in playing games in which the players change serve when a predetermined total score is attained, including a circular face bearing score indicia arranged near the circumference of said face, a pair of indicating elements and a totalizing element supported for movement with respect to said face, and operating means for moving said indicating elements and said totalizing element, said operating means comprising independent mechanisms one for actuating one of said two indicating elements and said totalizing element the other said mechanism for actuating its associated indicator element and the totalizing element a predetermined distance, and additional arcuately arranged indicia on said face which cooperates with said totalizing element to indicate change of serve.

3. A score-keeping device for use in playing games in which the players change serve when the score reaches a predetermined total, including a circular face bearing score indicia arranged near the circumference of said face, a pair of indicating hands and a totalizer hand supported for movement with respect to said face, said totalizer hand having an aperture at its free end through which said indicia may be observed, and operating means for moving said indicating hands and said totalizer hand, said operating means comprising two independent mechanisms one for actuating one of said indicating hands and said totalizer hand, the other of said mechanisms for actuating its associated indicator element and the totalizer hand a predetermined distance, and oppositely disposed lines one-quarter the length of the circumference of said face painted on said face adjacent its circumference adapted to indicate in connection with the aperture in said totalizer hand when the players should change serve.

ELMER GEORGE. 

